University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Mekhi Mews
September 15, 2023 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Mekhi Mews, like quite a few walk-ons or less-heralded Georgia football players before him, is having a moment. Only it may not just be a moment or two.
Mews was one of the guys folks talked about after making some plays during the G-Day game this spring. He was one of the guys folks talked about after the top-ranked Bulldogs' season-opening win over UT Martin, in which he had three catches for 75 yards, including a 54-yarder for a touchdown.
Last Saturday against Ball State, the redshirt sophomore receiver/returner took a punt return 69 yards for a touchdown, and had a 47-yard kickoff return. Mews has caught three passes in each of Georgia's first two games, and leads the team with six receptions for 102 yards. That's unlikely to last as the Bulldogs begin SEC play Saturday against South Carolina, and All-American tight end Brock Bowers' role — only six catches for 81 yards so far — figures to increase as the competition ramps up. In addition, the eventual return of wideout Ladd McConkey, who had 58 catches last season, five fewer than Bowers, will likely mean fewer targets for other receivers.
Still, Mews, who had two receptions in 2022, is making plays when given the opportunity. His 310 all-purpose yards so far are more than triple anyone else on the team.
During a Quick Chat last week, before he took the punt return 69 yards for a touchdown against Ball State, Mews talked about making plays, doing numerous sports in high school, what it's like to perform in front of 92,000 people, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Is this about as much fun as you've ever had playing football?
Mews: I feel like Saturday was really fun for me. Not even just the plays I made, but just being out there. It was a surreal moment for me.
Frierson: Do ever get used to 92,000 people going nuts? Or do you have to figure out a way to tune it out?
Mews: Honestly, I feel like you just zone it out. I'm so locked in on doing my job to help the team, so I don't really hear the crowd.
Frierson: Take me through the 54-yard touchdown reception. I'm guessing that play felt really good.
Mews: It felt good, but I feel like everyone else did their job to allow me to be able to score. The linemen came out and blocked, the receivers blocked, the tight ends blocked — I feel like everyone did their blocks and executed the play well. I feel like I had the easy part, finding the open space.
Frierson: Was football always your main sport, or did you play a lot of different sports when you were younger?
Mews: I played everything growing up: wrestling, baseball, basketball. Everything.
Frierson: If you didn't pursue football all the way, what sport do you think you might have stuck with?
Mews: Baseball, for sure. I played center field. I loved playing center field, just tracking the ball. It's like a punt return.
Frierson: Back when I used to cover high school sports, I always had so much respect for the wrestlers. More than any other sport, I think, there's nowhere to hide out there. Does your wrestling background help you in football?
Mews: Yeah, I feel like mentally it helps a lot. I did it just for that reason, to help with football. I feel like it did a lot for me mentally, because sometimes there's stuff that you don't want to do but you've got to do it. It's a one-on-one space, and it's either going to be you or the other person.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Mews: Steak, for sure. I could eat steak, potatoes and broccoli every day. That's pretty basic, I know.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen?
Mews: I'm all right. I'm not the best at cooking; I'm still trying to get some experience up in Bones (the team's dining facility that does cooking classes each Wednesday), so hopefully I can improve on that.
Frierson: Tate Ratledge talked about Bones the other day when we sat down for one of these. What is your favorite thing that they serve?
Mews: Steak, potatoes and broccoli [laughs]. It's my favorite meal. Any sort of meat, carb and a vegetable is my favorite kind of meal.
Frierson: How much more do you think about what you put into your body now compared to when you were in high school?
Mews: I feel like it's always been on my mind and I feel like I've always been pretty good about watching my weight. I feel like I was good in high school at knowing what weight I functioned best at, and putting the right things in my body to maintain that.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from football and school? How do you relax?
Mews: [Laughs] I don't feel like I ever do that. I don't feel like I ever turn my brain off. I feel like I thrive off of stimulation, so even if I'm inside the house and I'm scrolling Instagram or something, I'll be like, I need to stimulate my brain. Then I'll go read a book or something.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Mekhi Mews, like quite a few walk-ons or less-heralded Georgia football players before him, is having a moment. Only it may not just be a moment or two.
Mews was one of the guys folks talked about after making some plays during the G-Day game this spring. He was one of the guys folks talked about after the top-ranked Bulldogs' season-opening win over UT Martin, in which he had three catches for 75 yards, including a 54-yarder for a touchdown.
Last Saturday against Ball State, the redshirt sophomore receiver/returner took a punt return 69 yards for a touchdown, and had a 47-yard kickoff return. Mews has caught three passes in each of Georgia's first two games, and leads the team with six receptions for 102 yards. That's unlikely to last as the Bulldogs begin SEC play Saturday against South Carolina, and All-American tight end Brock Bowers' role — only six catches for 81 yards so far — figures to increase as the competition ramps up. In addition, the eventual return of wideout Ladd McConkey, who had 58 catches last season, five fewer than Bowers, will likely mean fewer targets for other receivers.
Still, Mews, who had two receptions in 2022, is making plays when given the opportunity. His 310 all-purpose yards so far are more than triple anyone else on the team.
During a Quick Chat last week, before he took the punt return 69 yards for a touchdown against Ball State, Mews talked about making plays, doing numerous sports in high school, what it's like to perform in front of 92,000 people, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Is this about as much fun as you've ever had playing football?
Mews: I feel like Saturday was really fun for me. Not even just the plays I made, but just being out there. It was a surreal moment for me.
Frierson: Do ever get used to 92,000 people going nuts? Or do you have to figure out a way to tune it out?
Mews: Honestly, I feel like you just zone it out. I'm so locked in on doing my job to help the team, so I don't really hear the crowd.
Frierson: Take me through the 54-yard touchdown reception. I'm guessing that play felt really good.
Mews: It felt good, but I feel like everyone else did their job to allow me to be able to score. The linemen came out and blocked, the receivers blocked, the tight ends blocked — I feel like everyone did their blocks and executed the play well. I feel like I had the easy part, finding the open space.
Frierson: Was football always your main sport, or did you play a lot of different sports when you were younger?
Mews: I played everything growing up: wrestling, baseball, basketball. Everything.
Frierson: If you didn't pursue football all the way, what sport do you think you might have stuck with?
Mews: Baseball, for sure. I played center field. I loved playing center field, just tracking the ball. It's like a punt return.
Frierson: Back when I used to cover high school sports, I always had so much respect for the wrestlers. More than any other sport, I think, there's nowhere to hide out there. Does your wrestling background help you in football?
Mews: Yeah, I feel like mentally it helps a lot. I did it just for that reason, to help with football. I feel like it did a lot for me mentally, because sometimes there's stuff that you don't want to do but you've got to do it. It's a one-on-one space, and it's either going to be you or the other person.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Mews: Steak, for sure. I could eat steak, potatoes and broccoli every day. That's pretty basic, I know.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen?
Mews: I'm all right. I'm not the best at cooking; I'm still trying to get some experience up in Bones (the team's dining facility that does cooking classes each Wednesday), so hopefully I can improve on that.
Frierson: Tate Ratledge talked about Bones the other day when we sat down for one of these. What is your favorite thing that they serve?
Mews: Steak, potatoes and broccoli [laughs]. It's my favorite meal. Any sort of meat, carb and a vegetable is my favorite kind of meal.
Frierson: How much more do you think about what you put into your body now compared to when you were in high school?
Mews: I feel like it's always been on my mind and I feel like I've always been pretty good about watching my weight. I feel like I was good in high school at knowing what weight I functioned best at, and putting the right things in my body to maintain that.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from football and school? How do you relax?
Mews: [Laughs] I don't feel like I ever do that. I don't feel like I ever turn my brain off. I feel like I thrive off of stimulation, so even if I'm inside the house and I'm scrolling Instagram or something, I'll be like, I need to stimulate my brain. Then I'll go read a book or something.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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